These mini lemon tarts are a delicious dessert with a sour touch, perfect for the tart food lovers. They are so easy to make, everyone can whip them up. Switch the lemon curd with your favorite curd and enjoy them even more!
These mini lemon tarts are great for any summer event, from weddings, outdoor parties and baby showers! For a baby shower, top with a red berry for a girl, or blueberry or blackberry for a boy.
The lemon curd is a traditional English and Scottish dessert served in the 19th and early 20th century for the afternoon tea. It was an alternative to jam and was great with scones or bread, or as a filling for tarts, small pastries or cakes. It might seem intimidating, but it’s actually very easy to make curds at home with a little bit of patience, so I really encourage you to try to make it at home instead of buying pre-made. Unless it’s pre-made at home by a lady you know. That one is good.
These individual lemon tarts are made in puff pastry cups which speeds up the making of these delicious tarts even more! Making puff pastry may be time-consuming although homemade is super delicious, but you can also use store-bought pastry if you’re short on time or just don’t want to spend the whole day in the kitchen. Most recipes will do well with pre-baked pastry cups, as they hold well for a few days.
How to make Mini lemon tarts
To make this easy recipe you’ll need simple ingredients you most likely have on hand: butter, sugar, egg yolks, lemons, puff pastry sheet and fruit jam or fresh fruit to decorate. You’ll also need mini tart pans, baking paper and pie weights (or replace with rice or beans)
How do you make mini lemon tarts?
1. Cut the puff pastry into squares a little larger than the tart pans. Spread the squares in the pans and cover with baking paper. Put in pie weights, and bake.
2. Place all ingredients for the lemon cream in a saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens.
3. Cool the shells completely and cool the lemon cream until no longer hot, then pour in the lemon cream in the shells and chill in the refrigerator until set.
4. Decorate with jam or fresh fruit.
These mini lemon tarts will hold well, so you can safely make them the day before serving, or in the morning to serve them in the evening. In this case, only sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving for a fresh look or add fresh fruit.
There are many ways of making mini lemon curd tarts with puff pastry:
- Cutting the pastry into squares or circles and placing them in a muffin tray to make cups;
- Cutting pastry circles which can be filled after baking (only with a firm curd);
- Spreading the curd on a pastry sheet and rolling it. This one actually makes lemon rolls rather than tarts, but it has the same amazing taste.
To give your easy lemon tarts a different finish, top them with berries, fresh mint, coconut shavings, almond flakes or white chocolate sprinkles, but don’t limit yourself to these. Try experiment until you’ve found your unique and most delicious mix.
For a more special flavor, try also the lime curd. It’s bold and sweet, full of lime flavor and not too sour. I find that any recipe that goes well with lemon curd, will also taste great with lime, and vice-versa.
Other desserts you will love:
- Homemade lemon bars
- Lemon mousse with cream cheese
- Chocolate caramel cookies
- Cranberry white chocolate cookies
- No bake Italian chocolate salami
- Strawberry pinwheels in puff pastry
- Nutella puff pastry flowers
- Blueberry donut cake
- Banana berry trifle
- Poppy seed rolls in puff pastry
What do you like your mini lemon tarts with? Did you try making mini tarts with different curds? Which one is your favorite? Please let me know in the comments section!
Sweet Little Zesty Wonders: Mini lemon tarts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp water
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 puff pastry sheet
Instructions
- Cut the puff pastry into squares a little larger than the tart pans. Spread the squares in the pans and cover with baking paper. Put in pie weights, and bake.
- Place all ingredients for the lemon cream in a saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens.
- Cool the shells completely and cool the lemon cream until no longer hot, then pour in the lemon cream in the shells and chill in the refrigerator until set.
- Decorate with jam or fresh fruit.
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